Sealing-off and dumping mechanism for exhaust machines



C. EISLER Nov. 21, 1933.

SEALING-OFF AND DUMPING MECHANISM FOR EXHAUST MACHINES Filed May 10. 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEYS Nov. 21, 1933. EISLER 1,936,426

SEALING-OFF AND DUMPING MECHANISM FOR EXHAUST MACHINES Filed May 10, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 ATTORN EYS Patented Nov. 21, 1933 UNITED STATES SEALING-OFF AND DUMPING MECHANISM FOR EXHAUST MACHINES Charles Eisler, Newark,

N. J., assignor to Eisler Electric Corporation, Newark, N. J., a corporation of Delaware Application May 10, 1930. Serial No. 451,212

BClaims.

This invention relates to machines for ex hausting and sealing off electric bulbs such for example as radio tubes and incandescent lamps.

One object of the invention is a machine of this character including a novel and improved sealing oif mechanism. A further object of the invention is a machine of this character including a novel sealing off and dumping mechanism.

A further object of the invention is a sealing off and dumping mechanism characterized by its simplicity in construction, reliability in operation and economy in manufacture.

For a better understanding of the above indicated novel features and others which will hereinafter appear reference may be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application wherein:

Fig. l is a side view partly in section of the essential parts of one embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof,

Fig. 3 is a view corresponding to Fig. 1 showing another step in the operation of sealing off,

Fig. l is a section along the line 44 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view of a means for cooling the rubber exhaust connections.

Referring to the drawings, one embodiment of the invention is illustrated in a machine including an intermittently rotatable turntable l, the mounting and driving means therefor being omitted for convenience in illustration. The table has a multiplicity of exhaust heads 2 for supporting and carrying the bulbs or tubes 3 to be exhausted and sealed oif. The heads 2 comprise the sockets for the reception of exhaust tubes 3 of the bulbs and these sockets lead through suitable connections 4 to the exhaust pump connections. The bulbs 3 are assembled on these heads with their exhaust tubes 3 held by the sockets of the heads and the intermittently rotatable turntable 1 carries these bulbs through an oven or heating chamber (omitted for convenience in illustration) while the air is being exhausted. At each rotating movement a head 2 and its bulb 3 are advanced a distance equal to the distance between two adjacent heads and at each stop an exhaust tube 3' is melted and sealed off to retain the vacuum in the bulb. There is, therefore, a sealing off mechanism disposed at the station A of the turntable. This mechanism includes a torch frame 6 in the form of an arcuate gas supply tube 7 and gas burners 8 carried underneath the same causing the melting flames to play upon the exhaust tubes 3.

Bulb grippers or side stops 9 are carried on the upper part of the torch frame to surround the tube or bulb 3 when the latter is advanced to the sealing ofi station, these members 9 including parts 10 which are adjustable towards and away from the bulb to provide for suitable adjustment. Just above the burners 8 is disposed a separating and shielding disc 11, this disc being carried by the torch frame and having a slot 12 formed therein in line with and to receive the exhaust 5 tubes 3' as each head 2 comes into position with the torch frame underneath the bulb. The torch frame is carried by a gas supply pipe 13 having a suitable flexible gas pipe 14 and being-mounted upon a reciprocating bracket 15. A tightening 7e and fastening means 16 is indicated for tightening the torch frame after adjustment to the required angular position. The sealing off mechanism is mounted on a fixed frame part 5 of the machine, a tubular upright standard 1'7 being as mounted upon the frame 5 in an adjustable manner, as for example by means of the adjustable set screw 18 which is screw-threadedly attached to the frame member 5 and engages the tubular member 1'7. The bracket 15 is guided at its so lower end upon the tubular member 17 while the upper end 19 is provided with a guide opening or socket for the reception of the upper end 20 of a reciprocating rod passing through the tubular member 17. The rod 20 has a collar 21 35 fixed thereto and a spring 22 surrounds the rod 20 and is disposed between the collar 21 and the upper end 19 of the bracket 15, the bracket 15 being thereby yieldingly supported by the reciprocating rod 20. The relative movement bebe tween the bracket 15 and the rod 20 is limited by a pin 23 which is rigidly carried by the rod 20 and passes through a slot 24 formed in the upper end of the bracket 15, the upper and lower walls of this slot forming stops for limiting the relative movement. The reciprocating rod 20 is connected with one end of a lever 25 which is carried by a downwardly depending bracket 26 from the frame 5, a pin slot connection 2'? being provided to permit free and unhindered movements of the lever 25. The opposite end 28 of the lever carries a roller 29 which is maintained in engagement with a rotating cam 30 by means of a spring 31, this spring being attached at one end to the lever and at the other end to the frame 5. The cam 30 is provided with a part 32 which corresponds to the lowest position of the torch frame 6, namely its position when a head and bulb 3 are advancing to the sealing 01f position thereby causing the torch frame and grippers to dip under the advancing bulb. The torch frame and gas pipe 13 are guided in the up and down movements by means of a vertically disposed guide member 33 carried by a bracket 34 mounted upon the standard 17, member 33 having an elongated slot through which the pipe 13 passes.

A dumping means for the sealed off bulbs is provided for each head including an upstanding arm 35 carried by the turntable 1, this arm 35 being in a position to clear the torch frame 6 when rotating and having an overhanging end 36 which is disposed in the path of the bulb 3 resting between the members 9.of a torch frame after the sealing off of the same, these members 36 engaging the bulbs 3 upon advancing from the sealing off position station A and dumping the same over and into a suitable chute 37, the latter having one end projecting above the advancing exhaust heads 2. The arms 36 are disposed at an acute angle to the direction of movement of the heads thereby imparting a glancing blow to the bulbs and causing them to fall over into the chute.

In the operation of the machine the bulbs 3 with their exhaust tubes 3 are assembled upon the exhaust heads 2 at the positions following the station A. The tubes are exhausted in the usual manner by being subjected to suitable pumping or exhausting operations and giving any other treatment desired, as for example the introduction of the gas or other material. Just as each head with its bulb approaches station A the rotating cam 30 occupies the position with the roller 29 of the actuating lever disposed in the dip 32 thereof, whereupon due to gravity and the influence of the spring 31 the reciprocating rod 20 and the torch frame are lowered to a position permitting the bulb to take a position over the torch frame with the exhaust tube 3' passing through the slot 12 of the disc 11 without fouling the same. When the head and bulb come to rest at the station A the cam 30 which continues to operate comes into action to elevate the reciprocating rod 20 and the torch frame to cause the grippers 9, 10 of the torch frame to engage the bulb. This engagement, however, is a yielding engagement due to the interposition of the spring 22 between the torch frame and the reciprocating rod 20, the parts taking up some such position as indicated in Fig. 1. With the gas flames from the burners 8 playing upon the exhaust tube 3' the latter is softened and closed at a point just below the disc 11 and when the exhaust tube becomes sufliciently soft it is attenuated and then severed by the action of the spring 22, the latter elevating the torch frame by a straight rectilinear movement to the position indicated in Fig. 3 as soon as the resistance of the exhaust tube to the action of the spring 22 gives way. With the bulb thus sealed off and resting lightly upon the torch frame between grippers 9 it is easily toppled over by the projecting arm 36 which upon advancing to the next position engages the tube and dumps it into the chute 37.

The machine also includes means for shifting the torch frame out of operative relation to the bulbs as they advance in order to interrupt the sealing off operation at the will of the operator, as for example when it may be desired to pass a bulb through the machine more than once. For this purpose I have indicated a handle 40 which is screw-threadedly attached into opening 41 formed in the sleeve of the casting 34, this handle 40 being provided with a suitable hand gripping sleeve, as for example of fibre, 40'. In

this opening 41 is disposed a locking ball 43 with a spring also disposed in the opening between the ball and the end of the handle 40, the ball resting in a recess 45 formed in the sleeve 1'7 and ordinarily forming a locking means for holding the casting 34 and the torch frame in the operative position. The sleeve of the casting 34 is journalled between collars 44 which are fastened to the stationary sleeve 17 and when it is desired to shift the torch frame from the operative position the operator grips the handle 40, 40 and rotates the casting 34 with the standards 33 engaging the pipe 13 thereby shifting the torch frame 6 out of the path of the movement of the bulbs, the reciprocating rod 20 rotating about the lower end of the telescopically arranged part 20', the latter being disposed in a recess, as indicated, formed in the lower part of the rod 20. When the operator shifts the torch back to the normal position the spring 42 urges the locking ball 43 into the locking recess 45 to again hold the torch frame in the desired operative position until sufficient force is exerted by the operator again to shift the ball out of the recess against the tension of the spring.

In Figs. 3 and 5 I have indicated a means for cooling the rubber connections of the heads 2 for the bulbs. For this purpose each rubber connection 46 is surrounded at its upper end by a water jacket or chamber 47, the latter having brazed thereto a sleeve or bushing 48 for the reception of the upper end of the tube 46. A fibre washer 49 is disposed between the sleeve member 48 and the brass block 50. In the particular embodiment shown there is a common water jacket 4'7 for each group of four heads 2, the cooling fluid intake and outlets being indicated at 51 and 52 respectively with connections 53 indicated for connecting the water jacket units 4'7 together providing for the circulation of the fluid. There is also a pinch cock 55 provided on the spider 1 for each of the rubber connections 46 thereby enabling the operator to close off the connection 46 at any time desired, as for example when there is a defective bulb inserted or when no bulb at all is inserted.

I claim:

1. In an exhaust machine a frame support, a turntable, means for intermittently moving the turntable, a plurality of exhaust heads carriedby but having limited reciprocating movements relative thereto, a spring interposed between the bracket and the reciprocable member, a bulb holder rigidly carried by said bracket, means for heating the exhaust tube, and means for lowering said reciprocable head and bracket sufliciently to cause the bulb holder to dip under an advancing bulb and then actuating said reciprocating shaft and bracket to a position causing the bulb holder to yieldingly engage the bulb, the reciprocable shaft having its upper end disposed in an opening of the bracket with the spring interposed between the bracket and a collar attached to said reciprocable shaft.

2. In an exhaust machine a frame support, a turntable, means for intermittently moving the turntable, a plurality of exhaust heads carried by the table, a reciprocating shaft carried by said frame adjacent the table, a bracket mounted on said reciprocable member for actuation thereby but having limited reciprocating movements relative thereto, a spring interposed between the bracket and the reciprocable member, a bulb holder rigidly carried by said bracket, means for heating the exhaust tube, and means for lowering said reciprocable head and bracket sufliciently to cause the bulb holder to dip under an advancing bulb and then actuating said reciprocating shaft and bracket to a position causing the bulb holder to yieldingly engage the bulb, the reciprocable shaft having its upper end disposed in an opening of the bracket with the spring interposed between the bracket and a collar attached to said reciprocable shaft, said bracket having its lower end guided by a stationary tubular guide for the reciprocable shaft.

3. In an exhaust and sealing off machine for electric bulbs, a plurality of exhaust heads for supporting the bulbs with the exhaust tubes engaged thereby, means at the sealing off station for sealing off the exhaust tubes including a support which engages the bulbs in that position and means carried by the carrier for the exhaust heads for engaging the sealed off bulb and dumping it from the sealing off support.

4. In a machine of the character set forth in claim 3 wherein the dumping means includes an arm supported by the carrier just to the rear of each exhaust head and in alinement with the sealed off bulbs.

5. In a machine of the character set forth in claim 3 wherein the dumping means includes an arm supported by the carrier just to the rear of each exhaust head and in alinement with the sealed off bulbs, said arm having one end projecting into the path of the bulb and disposedat an angle to the direction of movement imparting a cam-like removing action to the bulb.

6. In an exhaust machine a frame support, a turntable, means for intermittently moving the turntable, a plurality of exhaust heads carried by the table, a reciprocating shaft carried by said frame adjacent the table, a bracket mounted on said reciprocable member for actuation thereby but having limited reciprocating movements relative thereto, a spring interposed between the bracket and the reciprocable mem her, a bulb holder rigidly carried by said bracket, means for heating the exhaust tube, and means for lowering said reciprocablerhead and bracket sumciently to cause the bulb holder to dip under an advancing bulb and then actuating said reciprocating shaft and bracket to a position causing the bulb holder to yieldingly engage the bulb, the reciprocating shaft of the bracket being capable of rotation about the reciprocating shaft as an axis to move the bulb holder out of the .path of the bulbs, and hand operated means normally locked in fixed position but adapted to be readily disengaged by the application of pressure thereto and operative connections between said hand operated means and the bulb holder frame.

'7. In an exhaust machine a frame support, a turntable, means for intermittently moving the turntable, a plurality of exhaust heads carried by the table. a reciprocating shaft carried by said frame adjacent the table, a bracket mounted on said reciprocable member for actuation thereby but having limited reciprocating movements relative thereto, a spring interposed between the bracket and the reciprocable member, a bulb holder rigidly carried by said bracket, means for heating the exhaust tube, and means for lowering said reciprocable head and bracketv shaft as an axis to move the bulb holder out of the path of the bulbs, and hand operated means normally locked in fixed position but adapted to be readily disengaged by the application of pressure thereto and operative connections between said hand operated means and the bulb holder frame, said operative connections including a guide and centering device for the torch frame.

8. An exhaust machine comprising a frame support, a tubular bearing carried thereby, a reciprocating shaft passing through said tubular bearing, a sealing off bulb holder carried by said reciprocating shaft, a hand operated. sleeve journalled upon said tubular bearing including readily disengageable locking means and operative connections between said sleeve and said bulb holder for swinging the latter from an operative position to an inoperative position at th will of the operator.

' CHARLES EISLER. 

